


Undying Loyalty

by Shuckles



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Consensual But Not Safe Or Sane, Eye Gouging, Eye Trauma, Gore, M/M, Not Beta Read, OOC probably but who cares, Pre-Canon, Sendak doesn't have his prostethics yet, but just for story reasons, no actual sex just slight references to arousal, semi willing mutilation, set before Sendak gets his mechanical arm and eye, there's an original alien race and planet and mineral
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-30
Updated: 2018-03-30
Packaged: 2019-04-14 18:42:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14142174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shuckles/pseuds/Shuckles
Summary: Young Commander Sendak fails a mission and gets punished OR The story behind Sendak's prosthetic eye.





	Undying Loyalty

**Author's Note:**

> so i was feeling bad again and also i had an idea while walking my dog so i basically just wrote this in three hours.  
> i love gore and also sendak and zarkon so /shrug  
> hope you guys like it at least  
> EDIT:  
> Now with art by jasakiarts on Instagram!  
> https://www.instagram.com/p/BpPDXpWATUk/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=146vnjtnsi8eo

When Sendak's attack on Ishamys left him with over half of the crew dead and the ship only barely able to retreat, he didn't fear that his defeat would cost him his recently earned title as a commander.  
He didn't fear death for failing the mission, either.

No, what he dreaded was the fact that he had failed a mission that Emperor Zarkon had assigned to him. He had failed the man he had looked up to since he could think.  
A demotion or even an execution would be less painful than disappointing his Emperor.

The four Ishamians they had caught for research were growling and snarling as three of his remaining men and two sentries dragged them off to be interrogated and then probably to fight in the arena.  
Briefly, Sendak wondered if he would be able to see them use their long, ugly snouts and dagger-like teeth in battle, but honestly, that was the least of his worries. He just had to know what the Emperor was thinking of him now. How he felt about his failure.

So he held his head high as he walked the long way to the throne room. Which was something he did look forward too. The threat of being demoted or killed was nothing against the euphoria he felt for being able to kneel before his Emperor and receive his punishment in person.

The order to fly back to Central Command and to personally report to Emperor Zarkon was something he took seriously. No matter what had happened, it was his duty to explain himself.  
And that he would. Not to lessen the punishment, but to make things easier for the Emperor for another try to get Ishamys under control. Maybe someone else would be able to get the planet under control and add it to the empire. If so, he would be fine with it.  
He was happy to die if it helped Emperor Zarkon expand his reach.

 

And still, he could feel his heart beating faster than normal as he approached the throne room. He was nervous. Aside from images and occasional video transmissions, he had never seen nor talked to Emperor Zarkon. Being in his presence would be overwhelming for Sendak, but that didn't mean he could afford to appear nervous.  
Emperor Zarkon deserved his respect, and acting like a nervous little kit was not showing him that respect.

He straightened up as two drones let him into the throne room, and the moment he stepped inside, he felt like he was dreaming.  
Emperor Zarkon was sitting on his throne on the end of the room, the gentle glow illuminating him like a halo and reflecting of the sharp edges around him. Sendak had to stop himself from saluting right away.  
As he closed the distance, he could feel his legs shaking and as he kneeled down before the dais, the one on the ground almost gave out under him.

“Vrepit sa.”

Sendak kept his back bent and looked down. The witch wasn't with them, he had noticed when coming in. It was just the Emperor and him. It was the single most precious moment in his life, despite the reason he was here.

“I was told your mission of subjugating Ishamys has failed. Can you explain how a simple task like that could lead to the death of over forty soldiers?”, Zarkon asked, his deep, rumbling voice making Sendak shudder. His tone was calm and even, as if he wasn't talking to someone who had just failed to invade a planet inhabited by primitives who had just just developed space flight mere decaphoebs ago. If he was angry, he was hiding his feelings well.

“My deepest apologies, Lord Zarkon. Failing this mission was inexcusable. I will take whatever punishment you see fit for me,” he began, still looking down, not daring to look his Emperor in the face.

“The Ishamians have anticipated our attack and used disruptive frequencies to keep our weapons from firing. Apparently the insidixide found on their planet disables Galra-tech weapons when vibrated at a certain frequency. They then invaded the ship and tried to kill off the crew before our weapons could be reactivated.”

Sendak could hear Emperor Zarkon hum as he waited for him to finish.

“After killing the majority of the Ishamians, we were forced to retreat. Four of them have been detained for research and imprisonment,” Sendak finally finished, berating himself inwardly for the slight quiver in his voice. Zarkon did not mention it, but Sendak hating himself for sounding so pathetic.  
What good was he as a commander if he could not even report the failed mission without failing because of how ashamed he was?

“If attempted again, would the mission be successful?”

Sendak had not fully expected that question to follow, but he nodded regardless, eyes still on the floor.

“Yes, Emperor Zarkon. If the insidixide crystals they use to disable our weapons are destroyed, they can not fight back. The Ishamians rely on their bodies to fight and do not yet have developed advanced weaponry. Once their main line of defense is down, they are fully helpless.”  
That, at least, was what he had gathered from one of the Ishamians they had intended to bring back for research. It hadn't survived his interrogation, but had definitely put that enormous mouth and voice box to good use after Sendak had gotten a few punches in.

He could hear Zarkon stand up, his armor clinking against the armrests and his heavy footsteps resonating in the giant, empty room.

“Then I am certain another commander will succeed in setting up the insidixide mines on Ishamys,” he said, a statement that could be meant to be teasing said in a completely dry, calm way.  
It managed to really drive the shame of failing home.

Sendak could already see the shiny red metal of Zarkon's boots when he came to a halt in front of him, making him shiver involuntarily. Being so close to the man he admired most in the universe was breathtaking. 

“Now, Commander Sendak.”

Hearing him say his name was enough to make his heart skip a bit. The honor of being addressed personally by Emperor Zarkon was something only a fraction of Galra would ever experience, and he was one of them.  
No punishment would ever be bad enough to ruin this moment for him.

“Certainly, you know that failure is unacceptable from a commander who I had placed so much trust in,” Zarkon rumbled and Sendak's heart skipped another beat. This time, because this was what he had truly feared.  
Disappointing Zarkon was his biggest mistake, his biggest shame.  
It just happened to be the one thing that almost ruined this moment for him.

“Now. What kind of punishment do you think you should receive?”

Another question Sendak hadn't expected. This time, he dared to look up.

“I am willing to take whatever punishment fit for my failure,” he said, locking eyes with Zarkon. It felt overwhelming to look into his face, but if he were to die, he would die a happy man now.  
“If you do not see demoting me fit, then I will gladly accept being sent to the work camps. If it benefits you, I will be happy to accept death, too.”

Zarkon breathed out audibly, almost startling Sendak. For how booming his voice was, hearing him breathe was rare. Sendak decided to treasure it for how contemplative it sounded.

When Zarkon reached down to cradle his face in his huge, clawed hand, he flinched for real. Zarkon did not pull back and just looked at him, his mouth opened slightly, as if he was amused by his words.

“Commander Sendak, it almost sounds like you want to die,” he mused, his thumb stroking over his cheek, rumpling up his fur against the grain. Sendak wanted to lean into it, but he knew better than to act without Emperor Zarkon's explicit permission.

“I do not want to die. If it pleases you, however, I will gladly accept my demise. My loyalty to you is undying, my lord.”

Zarkon's expression was impossible to read, but the gentle touch of his hand didn't stop. His claw, however, got dangerously close to his right eye, stroking the short fur right underneath it. Sendak felt his eyelid twitch, wanting to protect his eye, but he forced himself to keep it open.

“You seem very content in that,” he hummed. “Allow me to prove it.”

Before he could even reply, a searing pain exploded in his right eye and only a moment later, he felt his fur get drenched in blood.  
It took him another moment to realize that Zarkon had plunged his clawed thumb into his eye.

His body wanted him to pull back, to cry out in pain, to push Zarkon back.  
He did none of these things. 

As Zarkon slowly moved his thumb around in his eye socket, squeezing the eyeball, touching the optic nerve, his eyes both began to tear and he gasped in pain once, twice, but he did not budge. Despite heavily blinking at the mind-numbing pain, he kept looking up at his Emperor, and a low purr began rumbling in his throat, his body's last try to handle the pain.

He gasped again as Zarkon's other fingers began gently stroking his cheek and ear again. It was two such contrasting sensations, the tender touch against his face and the agony of his eye getting gouged out. His purr grew louder and his arm, still raised in salute, shook so hard that it rivaled the vibrations his purring caused in his chest.

Zarkon looked amused again as he made scooping motions with his thumb. Sendak shivered as something suddenly rested against his cheek and his eye socket felt empty. The pain never lessened, but all he could concentrate was the feeling of blood gushing out, the sensation of Emperor Zarkon's fingers soothingly petting his face and the small smile that had begun to show on the man's usually so stoic face.

“Your failure to subjugate Ishamys hurts you more than this, does it not?”, he said, his voice almost sounding like a purr. Maybe he was purring. Sendak kind of felt excited at the idea of that.

“M-My failure-”  
He wanted to keep his voice even, but as his mind was swimming with pain, he found it to be impossible.  
“My failure was- is inexcusable. If this- this is what I deserve, I am happy to- to receive it.”

Zarkon chuckled at that, the sound low and dark, sending shivers down Sendak's spine. The gentle scritching against his skin increased in intensity for a moment.

“You may relax now, Commander Sendax,” he said, and it almost felt like a command. A command Sendak was happy to obey.

He felt how much he was shaking as he dropped right arm and leaned into the hand that cradled his face, closing his eyes- his eye as he took a deep breath. The stirring, scratching and scooping of Zarkon's thumb didn't stop.  
Sendak wondered if this was how he would die. Bleeding out from getting his eye gouged out, all while leaning against the hand of the most powerful man, no, the most powerful being in the universe.

If he was honest, it sounded like the perfect way to end his life.

As he opened his eye again, just to be able to see his Emperor one last time, he saw that the amused smile had faded, giving way to a neutral but pleased expression.  
It made his nether regions stir in a way he was well accustomed to, if not for the reason why it happened right now.  
A short, tearing pain made him choke out a harsh sob and press his thighs together. His severed eye fell to the ground before him with a squelching sound, but he didn't see see it. His cheek still rested against Zarkon's hand, his now completely empty eye socket still had Zarkon's thumb inside. 

Sendak half expected him to move to the other eye, but he never did. His thumb gently rubbed against the rim of his eye, joining the other fingers in just gently ruffling his blood soaked fur.  
He noticed that his purring had stopped, suddenly making him notice how quiet it was. He could hear nothing but his own heartbeat throbbing in his head and the noise of wet fur getting touched.

“It seems to me that you did not lie,” Zarkon said as he pulled his hand away. It was almost completely magenta from his blood.  
“I might need to think about punishing you again.”

Without the hand, Sendak felt like he wound fall down and faint. The pain worsened. The throbbing of his empty eye socket, his heart and his arousal did not fade.  
Sendak was happy, though.

Looking up at Zarkon, he brought his shaky right arm up again, putting his fist against his chest, feeling just how hard his heart was beating.

“Y-You are too kind, my lord.”

Zarkon turned his back to him, his cape obscuring his massive frame as he walked back to his throne.

“Go and have your wound treated. I expect you to make a quick recovery. You _will_ conquer Ishamys for me.”

Sendak swallowed heavily as he stood up, his arm still resting against his chest in salute, feeling as if the pain, blood loss and happiness would knock him down. His eye laid before his feet, ruined completely. He would never be able to see out of his right eye again.  
A small price to pay for having been spared punishment.  
Lord Zarkon's generosity was truly admirable.

Looking at his Emperor out of one eye, his ears drooping ever so slightly, his face covered in blood and tears, he nodded, clenching his fist tighter.

“Vrepit sa.”

**Author's Note:**

> yes, neither of them considers gouging out someone's eye a punishment.  
> hmu at keithlovesshiro.tumblr.com if you wanna talk!


End file.
